Manchester City vs Manchester United tactical preview: How hosts will look to unsettle Jose Mourinho's shaky defence

It's the Manchester derby! City are trying to win a second league title in a row, United are desperate just to be involved. How times have changed.

So, how will both managers approach this massive derby match?

Guardiola must decide on pace vs creativity

City usually lineup as a 4-3-3 but the shape changes throughout 90 minutes depending on the phase of play. While Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy often overlap (or underlap) in attack, against some opposition City's back four moves to a three, with Walker becoming a right-sided centre-back.

This means that Mendy operates as a winger on one side and the right-sided forward stretches play on the opposite flank and - crucially - allows for two central strikers to play. Gabriel Jesus can start wide left in place of Leroy Sane and tuck inside to a central forward's position alongside Sergio Aguero once City are in the opposition half.

Raheem Sterling has been in fine form this season and offers a massive counter-attacking threat, but if Man Utd intend to sit deep and frustrate, there will be no room behind the defenders for Sterling to attack. Therefore, it makes sense to have someone better at keeping the ball and creating in tight spaces like Riyad Mahrez. Mahrez did this against Spurs at Wembley and was integral to City dominating possession and defending by keeping the ball away from their opponents.

Another thing to consider is that United's defence absolutely does not deal well with fast counter-attacks and Bournemouth could have scored about five goals in the first half of their eventual 2-1 defeat. Guardiola will have watched that and realise that Sane's direct running opposite Sterling could unsettle and destroy a fragile back four early in the game. Man Utd will know they've played a game after this one.

Centre-back joining the midfield

United were caught out by a ball over the top from a centre-back to Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus' first goal on Wednesday.

Vincent Kompany has played similar passes to the one that Leonardo Bonucci made on several occasions, providing key passes in the 3-1 win over Spurs last season. 

John Stones and Aymeric Laporte have been Guardiola's first-choice defensive partnership this season and that is likely to continue on Sunday - if City do go to a back three when in possession, either of these players can competently carry the ball forward into midfield to help outnumber United and dominate the pitch.

Mourinho is not blessed with the same quality of ball-playing centre-back and his team shape will look for more rigid. Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof either aren't confident enough to, aren't good enough to, or aren't allowed to do similar, meaning that United's build-up play is often laboured and predictable. If City go man to man in midfield, United can only pass backwards, sideways or long.

If City press them high - and they will - Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera must move into space to help link passes. Ashley Young was furious with teammates against Bournemouth last weekend for failing to offer him a pass, resulting in several hoofed chips down the channel to nobody.

One holding midfielder vs two

Mourinho played a midfield three of Matic, Pogba and Herrera against Juventus in a 4-3-3/4-5-1. Herrera snapped and chased at the man on the ball, Matic sat a little deeper and kept things simple, while Pogba offered moments of lovely skill and gave the ball away a lot. Aside from the mistakes, it was balanced - and Juve didn't dominate like they did at Old Trafford.

Guardiola usually only has Fernandinho as the pivot behind two more adventurous midfielders, but against United there is every chance that Ilkay Gundogan starts alongside one of the two Silvas in order to provide a slightly more defensive mindset. City have incredible options and whoever starts will alter the way the team shapes up - Bernardo Silva can come on later if City need more creativity, just as Gundogan might appear as a substitute if they want to shut down a 1-0 lead.

Pogba is key to how United play and if City apply pressure to him and catch the midfielder in possession - something which Juventus did often in both matches - they can win turnovers in dangerous positions with United's defence vulnerable. Expect Maraoune Fellaini to make a cameo off the bench as the 'up and at them' hero if United are chasing a goal.